1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an operator training and maneuver refinement system and method of use that are effective for training and assisting operators of aircraft, vehicles and equipment to maneuver such devices more efficiently, effectively and safely. These benefits are desirably achieved by receiving, monitoring, analyzing, comparing, evaluating, displaying and recording input controller position data in relation to preferred positional benchmarks and thresholds, and by making positional adjustments that are consistent with safe and efficient operation of the same or similar devices under comparable conditions. A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a pilot training and aircraft maneuver refinement system that enables pilots to exercise more effective control over operational input controllers of an aircraft while executing maneuvers during flight. The system and method of the invention are applicable to and useful in actual, simulated and virtual modes of aircraft operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Many technically advanced instrumentation, control, safety and backup systems are presently known and available for piloted aircraft and other vehicles, equipment and devices. Examples of such systems that are commonly known and available for use in aircraft operation include auto-pilots, GPS navigation systems and glide path indicators; stall speed, low altitude and ground proximity warning systems; low fuel, fire and cabin pressure alarms; and the like. Such systems are valuable contributors to operational safety and efficiency when used as recommended, but do not eliminate the need for well-trained pilots or operators. A system and method are therefore needed that are useful in training aircraft pilots and operators of vehicles and equipment to exercise better control over and achieve better efficiencies in their use of input controllers to produce a desired operational outcome.
When training pilots to maneuver aircraft, and particularly military or other high performance aircraft during flight using conventional pilot training systems, there is a common tendency on the part of novice or inexperienced pilots to move input controllers (such as, for example, the throttle, stick, yoke, or rudder pedals) a positional distance that is greater than that needed to produce a desired magnitude of response. This tendency to “over-control” typically produces an associated “over-correction” in a maneuver. In some circumstances such “over-corrections” also become a contributing factor to erratic or inefficient flight paths, excess fuel consumption, flight delays, aborted landing approaches, long or short landings, hard landings and other safety hazards, or even crashes.
No matter whether these “over-corrections” occur at altitude or during take-off and landing, they can have significant adverse consequences or potentially catastrophic outcomes in terms of human safety and economic costs. In a military environment, the importance of properly positioning controller inputs can be even greater where, for example, a pilot is flying in formation, during low altitude flight, in bad weather conditions, or when flying into short airfields or onto aircraft carriers. In a training environment, such occurrences can indicate a need for supplemental training and testing, or scheduling of additional instruction and more simulator or flight time, for which there is often limited availability and also a significant associated expense.
A need therefore exists for an operator training and maneuver refinement system and method having indicators that will assess the real-time operating conditions and enable pilots and operators of aircraft, vehicles and other equipment to more quickly recognize when an input controller should be repositioned, how far it should be repositioned, and then to develop a “feel” for the physical motion needed to achieve the range of movement needed. In some situations, particularly where a given movement of an input controller can produce a significantly greater or lesser mechanical response, there is also a need for an operator training and maneuver refinement system in which the sensitivity of the input controller is selectively adjustable by the pilot or operator. Efforts have previously been made to selectively alter the sensitivity of some manually controlled devices, such as a computer mouse. This is typically done in a “settings” environment that does not enable the user to quickly move between user selectable input controller sensitivity levels when repositioning one or more input controllers as needed for some user-operated devices such as piloted aircraft.